An image: literally “teraphim.” See the comment on 15.23.

The bed: Contemporary English Version says “his [David’s] bed.” This is very likely the intended meaning of the definite article with the noun bed.

Pillow: this Hebrew word occurs only here and in verse 16 in the Old Testament, and its meaning is uncertain. New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and La Bible Pléiade say “a net [of goats’ hair],” and Fox has “some twined-goats’ hair.” Revised English Bible calls this “a goat’s-hair rug.” The sense seems to be that Michal used goats’ hair to look like human hair. Though New Century Version fails to translate this Hebrew word, the essential meaning seems to be retained by saying “She covered it with clothes and put goats’ hair at its head.”

The clothes: as in the case of the bed earlier in this verse, the use of the definite article with this word seems to suggest that these were “David’s clothes” (Contemporary English Version). In languages that do not have definite articles, it will be doubly important to state clearly that both the bed and the clothes used in this trickery were those of David.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .